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Are you tired of Semantic Gymnastics? It occurs when the woke elite try to soften the truth.
1. migrant. /mi′gr?nt/
noun
A person who leaves one country to settle permanently in another; an immigrant.
2. illegal alien/immigrant
noun
A foreign person who is living in a country without having official permission to live there
3. undocumented immigrant
noun
An immigrant who has entered a country in an unauthorized manner (often as a migrant worker) and has no documentation.
Of these definitions, which is accurate regarding the estimated 10 million that have come across the border in 3 years?
The first definition falls short. It assumes that the massive number of people have some innocent desire to live in another country. The number of crimes and trafficking of humans and drugs, as well as those on the terrorist watchlist, bear out a less than innocent agenda in a great number.
The second definition comes closer, as it gives an accurate assessment: they are illegally here (i.e., breaking our laws.)
But in order to soften the truth, the politically correct crowd has opted for number three. It glazes over that to be undocumented means one is breaking the law...illegal.
I think to be accurate, we need a better definition. I would submit this term:
Illegal Undocumented Alien
This is an all-encompassing and accurate depiction. An alien is one who is not part of the culture/country he is in. As opposed to someone merely vacationing, these are people seeking to infiltrate illegally into a society foreign to their own. It is a valid term. Illegal and undocumented means the person went around the process of immigration outlined by the country. No confusion.
Words matter. Definitions matter. This is how we communicate without confusion.
With the full availability of the English language, it is foolish to choose a term because someone hearing the truth might be offended. Each person hears language with their own connotation attached. It is impossible to eggshell walk in order to avoid every person taking offense.
Now, don't confuse the pursuit of accuracy in language as a method of being uncharitable. Quite the contrary! To obfuscate truth is extremely uncharitable. Humanitarian efforts should never include the employment of encouraging crime, which seems to be what we currently are doing.
Enough is enough! Let common sense and a love for truth and law become a major factor in this crisis.
As comedian Brad Stine says, "I'm offended that you're offended."
I am a mother of seven and grandmother of twelve. I was blessed to homeschool the youngest from second grade through high school. I spent many years as a singer-songwriter. One of my songs was in the semi-finals at Music in the Rockies, and I was a semi-finalist in a Billboard contest. In 2017, I co-wrote with my husband my first book: 95 Questions for Protestants, which answered urban legends about the faith. A few years later, I published Confessions of a Catholic Homeschool Mom, which chronicles how I stumbled my way into homeschooling our youngest. I publish a blog (www.95-Questions.com) that addresses issues of faith, politics and current events. I am in the process of a children's book series, and developing a Catholic apologetics board game for families. As you can see, I have been writing in one form or another for most of my life. I truly hope you enjoy reading my pieces here.
